Yesterday (March 13) Benedict XVI released a 131 page apostolic exhortation on the Eucharist, Sacramentum Caritatis (“The Sacrament of Charity”). The document is the fruit of the Holy Father’s reflections on what was suggested by the bishops at the 2005 world Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist.

But will politicians and other public persons listen to the truth? The Holy Father states that reception of Holy Communion is not merely a private matter. It is a public witness that must be consistent with the profession of the whole truth of Christ:

Worship pleasing to God can never be a purely private matter, without consequences for our relationships with others: it demands a public witness to our faith. Evidently, this is true for all the baptized, yet it is especially incumbent upon those who, by virtue of their social or political position, must make decisions regarding fundamental values, such as respect for human life, its defense from conception to natural death, the family built upon marriage between a man and a woman, the freedom to educate one’s children and the promotion of the common good in all its forms. These values are not negotiable. Consequently, Catholic politicians and legislators, conscious of their grave responsibility before society, must feel particularly bound, on the basis of a properly formed conscience, to introduce and support laws inspired by values grounded in human nature (83).

The Holy Father’s statement is consistent with his memo, promulgated while he was still prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, concerning “worthiness to receive Holy Communion.” Unfortunately, this memo was largely ignored by prelates and politicians during the 2004 election year. We shall see if these standards are upheld in 2008. At least one priest has decided enough is enough.

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The paper by the Optimum Population Trust will say that if couples had two children instead of three they could cut their family’s carbon dioxide output by the equivalent of 620 return flights a year between London and New York.

The OPT is the group that sponsored the controversial Oxford conference in 2003 in which it was determined that the population of the UK could be optimized at about 30 million, approximately half the current level. One wonders how that might be accomplished.

As the native populations of Europe continue to dwindle, and their welfare states are requiring more and more immigration to prop them up, the think tank elite are working hard to accelerate the demise of western civilization.

Having contact with many large families, or should I say, gigantic families (9 or 10 children, not 3 or 4), I know well how they get the raised eyebrow from just about anyone, from the pediatrician pushing birth control, to the disgruntled churchgoer, who stops a mother on the way back from communion and asks: “Are these all yours? By the same father?” I kid you not. Now they have become a leading cause of global warming.

With more and more secularists considering skepticism concerning their creed to be criminal, since, in their view, a lack of faith is leading to the destruction of the planet, and with more and more legislation aimed at limiting dissent from things like same-sex marriage, what should parents of large families expect now?

The post Children Bad for the Planet. Huh? first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Praise God, we have a Pope, not a politician!

Pope Benedict XVI is voicing his support for Mexican Bishops who are threatening excommunication of “leftist parliamentarians who last month voted to legalize abortion in Mexico City.?? [Reuters’ words in quotations.] [Note: It’s amazing that whenever the Church follows its own teachings and applies them, it’s big news.]

It appears our Pope is not walking away from the fight against godless Catholics and their mass media allies. If we all pitch in and say one Ave Maria, perhaps the Holy Father will head north and fly over Washington D.C. on route back to Rome.

Click here to read this encouraging Reuters news story.

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Hello-Hola-Bonjour-Buon Giorno, etc. Do you believe that the U.S. can have a pro-life victory this year (or sooner) and spread the good news throughout the world, through pro-life media reform? I do. The Friars are working for this, too. How do I connect with them? The Franciscans of the Immaculate offer Holy Mass at our Motherhouse (www.sistersofcharity.com) and, as you can see, we still work together. I teach Spanish at our all girls’ high school (www.ahfbaltic.org); “direct” the drama–we will do the musical Oliver! this fall; and–joy of joys–moderate our pro-life club, which the students named T.O.P.-Life Club. They have posted wonderful highway billboards in Southeastern Connecticut in the pro-life fight and we now host Pro-Life Coffee Houses to help fund the billboards. What shall we discuss in this BLOG?…any of these topics, and more–the reform of the media is my favorite, so that the message of pro-family, pro-life will infiltrate our society and transform it, just as the not-so-beneficial influences have influenced us to date. Mary is the reason we have hope, she is the reason I am a Sister, and she is the way and the answer to media reform. I look forward to hearing from you (or y’all, as some of my favorite people say), and I ask Mary to send you powerful prayers, as I hope for yours. God’s causes cannot fail, and through her intercession, they succeed faster!

In the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Sister Marie-André

The post Sr. Marie-Andre, SCMC – Mary Mother of Life – Pro-Life Victory first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

The FI news team covered the pro Marriage Rally held at the Connecticut State Capital yesterday Morning which was organized by the Family Institute of CT. Over 300 people took time off work to give support for keeping the traditional definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman. This is in spite of the fact that the bill to redefine marriage had already been defeated! The pro gay marriage group also had a gathering at the same time and only turned out about 16 people! This rally of families on a gloriously beautiful spring day was a great celebration of the defeat of this bill, and sent a powerful pro family message to the CT legislature and to National and State legislatures across the US. But prayers are still needed.

Ave Maria!

The post Video – F.I. News #18: Pro-family, Rally CT State House, 23rd May 2007 first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

The post Sr. Marie-Andre, SCMC – Mary Mother of Life: Psalm 74 first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

Joe Collison discusses with hostess Corinn Dahm the life of a child in the womb. The discussion focuses on what we know about premature babies but even more on information given by new technology that lets us see the baby more clearly right in the womb. Come join us as we shed light on the interesting life of the youngest members of the human race…

Ave Maria!

The post Video – Face of Pro-Life #10: Life in the Womb first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

Is it true that one religion is no better than the other? How is Christ unique?

All founders of religion claim that they teach the truth about God. In this episode, Raymond de Souza discusses the unique claims Christ made as the founder of Christianity. Has any other founder of a world religion claimed to be one with God? Was the birth of any other religious founder pre-announced hundreds of years beforehand by various men living in different ages? Has any other founder of a religion performed miracles as proof of the words he spoke?

Raymond also talks on contraception in our day, and on how post WWII Europe, and the western world en masse, is contracepting and aborting itself to death. He mentions the main facets identifying the de-Christianization of Europe: politics without God, law without God, and economy without God. Raymond also speaks on how a non-childbearing Europe will fare with its increase in Muslim immigrants, and he adds this pearl as a postmark: “Between certitude (Islam) and weakness (European Christianity), certitude will win at the end of the day.?? He ends the episode with a fascinating story on the fruit of contraception and childlessness in Japan, where elderly couples pay to be visited by a younger couple (with one child) who pretend to be the children (and grandchild) of the elderly couple. The cost is $2,000 US dollars for a two-hour visit.

Ave Maria!

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Father Thomas Euteneuer, President of Human Life International speaks to the mentality of “reproductive health services?? in his regular e-newsletter, “Spirit & Life??. The last installment of the newsletter (Vol. 1, N. 79) also released yesterday talks about the “Sacrament?? of Abortion. In his letter, Fr. Euteneuer defines the “sacrament?? of abortion as having the same characteristics as a real Sacrament in that it is efficacious in bringing about death and destroys grace by imparting moral sin. Check out Fr. Euteneuer’s article here http://www.hli.org/. He’s always worth reading.

One thing is certain we live in a culture of death, moral relativism and secular humanism. The United Nations is the flag bearer for the values that go along with that culture. We taxpayers foot the lion’s share of the UN’s annual budget. While possessing a very small amount of persuasive control. And, believe it or not, the UN is actually seeking ways to further insinuate itself into American politics so that it can have taxing power over the American people! The devil sure knows what he’s doing.

The post Reproductive Health Services…thanks UN! first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Jefferson City, Aug 22, 2007 / 10:43 am (CNA).- Planned Parenthood filed a federal lawsuit Monday seeking to strike down a new Missouri law that requires abortion clinics to meet the same state health and safety standards already applied to other types of ambulatory surgical centers.

The federal lawsuit contends that the law, which takes effect Aug. 28, would infringe on abortion rights, and asks a judge for an injunction blocking it.

Among the new requirements noted in the lawsuit: outpatient surgery centers must have halls at least six feet wide and doors at least 44 inches wide; there must be separate male and female changing rooms for personnel; and a recovery room with space for at least four beds with three feet of clearance around each.

Planned Parenthood claims the law could eliminate abortion services in parts of the state by subjecting clinics to stringent state oversight. The required renovations, it claims, are costly and “medically unnecessary.??

In particular, Planned Parenthood fears the law could put two of its abortion centers ” one in Columbia and the other in Kansas City ” out of business. Planned Parenthood contends that already existing facilities should be exempt from meeting the new physical requirements.

God forbid the state puts the health of patients, even those seeking to kill their babies, above the money-making capabilities of the abortion mills.

The post You Have the Right…To Kill first appeared on AirMaria.com.